The TR-808 — legendary boom and sizzle

For the TR-08, Roland modeled their legendary TR-808 right down to the component level using their proprietary Analog Circuit Behavior technology. The TR-808 was originally introduced in 1980 as an easy-to-program drum machine. Unfortunately, it's unrealistic drum sounds were a bit more than the establishment could handle, and the 808 was discontinued in 1983. But then hip-hop crawled out from the underground, and the TR-808's robotic rhythms and speaker-blowing bass drum were elevated to mythical status. After it hit the mainstream, the 808 was featured prominently in recordings made by artists such as Marvin Gaye ("Sexual Healing") and Afrika Bambaataa ("Planet Rock"). These days, the TR-808 is a staple in electronic, dance, and hip-hop genres.

A vintage drum machine for modern beat-makers

The original TR-808 is a classic, but its limited feature set restricts its usefulness — especially for modern music production. The TR-08 expands on the original's performance with practical modern touches. Its 16-step sequencer has 16 sub-steps, allowing you to create detailed snare fills and intricate hi-hat rolls. A track-selectable trigger out makes integrating the TR-08 with your other electronic instruments easy. An unobtrusive LED display yields fine control over tempo and shuffle. You also have compression, gain, tune, and pan for selected instruments and can step-program or tap in your parts in real-time without changing modes. At Sweetwater, we especially appreciate how the TR-08 sends and receives MIDI control messages for everything. There's even USB-MIDI!